Police officers tested the sobriety of Councilman Jim Righeimer in August after receiving a call that he was driving recklessly. From there, the story spun out of control. THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Former Newport-Mesa Superintendent Jeffrey Hubbard follows his attorney Salvatore P. Ciulla into court for the sentencing phase of his trial at the Los Angeles Superior Court. ARMANDO BROWN, FOR THE REGISTER

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Bay-front homeowners and others pack the Newport Beach City Council Chamber before the start of the City Council meeting Tuesday night. The Council was hearing public comment on a proposed dock tax. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Homeless mom Allison Field, left and son Michael of Costa Mesa hug before finding out if a voucher program from Shelter Plus will help get them into an apartment. "We're gonna have Christmas in our own place," said a hopeful Michael. EUGENE GARCIA, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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In August, the City Council approved the Banning Ranch development, which was proposed by a private developer, to convert one-fourth of a 401-acre property into a 1,375-home residential and commercial project. THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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The roof of the new Newport Beach Civic Center. MARK RIGHTMIRE, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Piecemakers leader Marie Kolasinski with the hundreds of letters she's received since she went to jail for defying county health inspectors. LEONARD ORTIZ, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

It has been an eventful year for Newport Beach and Costa Mesa – dotted with tragedy, controversy, humor, serious and sometimes wacky politics. It kicked off in January, when a jury convicted Jeffrey Hubbard, the superintendent of the Newport-Mesa Unified School District, of misappropriation of public funds. And it finished this month with a few homeowners boycotting the beloved Christmas Boat Parade. Here is a roundup of the news events that the Register covered in 2012 and a quick look ahead at what is to come on some of these issues.

Sting operations and setups

Police officers tested the sobriety of Councilman Jim Righeimer in August after receiving a call that he was driving recklessly. From there, the story spun out of control.

Turns out the caller, Chris Lanzillo, was a private detective working for a law firm representing the police union. Not one to miss an opportunity to criticize labor, Righeimer blasted the tactics as typical union intimidation during contract negotiations. Soon, city managers elsewhere stepped forward, as did others who had also tangled with the law firm Lackie, Dammeier, McGill & Ethir.

Then in a strange twist, Lanzillo told the Orange County Register that he was actually trying to sting another councilman, Gary Monahan, the night he made the DUI call on Righeimer. Lanzillo said he sent a woman into Monahan's pub, Skosh Monahan's, in the hopes of catching the married father in a compromising position.

What's next: The Orange County District Attorney's office is still investigating the incident.

End of an era at Piecemakers

The founder of the Piecemakers, a group of communally living religious crafters, died this year, amid the organization's ongoing bankruptcy. Marie Kolasinski was known for her strident antigovernment views, which landed her in jail. In April, she died of natural causes at age 90.

Also, the Piecemakers were forced to sell their $2 million East Mesa Verde Drive office complex in August as part of bankruptcy proceedings. The group declared bankruptcy in 2009 after the recession ate into their Country Store sales. They sell quilts and other handicrafts and offer lessons in sewing, knitting, stitching and cooking. Kolasinski was sent to jail in 2007 when she refused to allow county health investigators to inspect the group's Adams Avenue kitchen and tearoom.

What's next: The Unitarian Universalist Church purchased the office complex and plans to move there in January.

Jeffrey Hubbard convicted

The superintendent of the Newport-Mesa Unified School District was convicted in January on two felony counts of misappropriation of public funds. Jeffrey Hubbard was found guilty for his actions at his previous job as superintendent of the Beverly Hills Unified School District. A Los Angeles jury found he enriched a subordinate without school board permission by awarding her a bonus and increasing her car allowance.

Hubbard, who served nearly four days of his 60-day jail sentence, was fired from his Newport-Mesa post. The district named Fred Navarro as Hubbard's replacement in June.

What's next: In November, Hubbard appealed his conviction in the state 2nd District Court of Appeal, claiming he followed normal procedures in Beverly Hills. The state has until Jan. 11 to reply.

Helping Costa Mesa's homeless

This was the year that Costa Mesa officials rolled out their Homeless Task Force initiatives. They combine strict enforcement against smoking in parks and other common homeless behavior, with hiring a social worker and other measures meant to help people off the streets.

As administrators carried out their "carrot and stick" plan, then-Mayor Eric Bever surprised nearly everyone when he called for the investigation and potential closure of Someone Cares Soup Kitchen and Share Our Selves, two of the city's longest-standing nonprofits. He said they attract homeless people from across the region and compared them to nightclubs that are neighborhood "nuisances." The blowback against Bever was regional.

Aside from the nonprofits, the city's resources are now directed to about 120 homeless people that officials consider Costa Mesa homeless. In October, volunteers with Vanguard University canvassed the city and interviewed hundreds of poor and homeless.

What's next: The city is finalizing that list and planning to develop housing with substance abuse and other services.

The battle for Measure V

In any other city, this could have been an arcane public policy debate. Not in Costa Mesa, where city officials have warred with organized labor. Hundreds of people even turned out to a forum on the merits of a city charter, and the debate raged up to the November election. Many longtime residents said they had never seen the city so divided.

Then-Councilman Jim Righeimer proposed that the city switch to a charter form of government, to give the council more control over its affairs. He and the rest of the council drafted a charter – essentially a local constitution – hostile to organized labor. Unions around the state spent hundreds of thousands of dollars against the charter ballot measure, Measure V, and it was defeated by nearly 60 percent of voters.

Now that Righeimer and the council majority cannot unilaterally privatize union jobs, they have offered an olive branch. Officials in December rescinded the remaining 70 pink slips they issued to city employees, and have asked the Costa Mesa City Employees Association to settle its lawsuit against the city.

What's next: Righeimer says he would like to try again. He plans to create a citizen charter committee that would draft something less divisive for the June 2014 ballot.

New Civic Center

The new Civic Center at Avocado Avenue and Farallon Drive (renamed Civic Center Drive) – the subject of controversy over the last decade – is near completion. In fact, the City Council had its first meeting in the new Council Chambers Dec. 11 so termed-out Councilman Steve Rosansky could have his last meeting there. The $131.4 million project has a wave-shaped roof and several lookout points with ocean views and "green" features that take advantage of the ocean breeze and mild temperatures. The campus will also house a library, a parking garage, two parks, including a dog park, and bridges overlooking wetlands. A pedestrian bridge over San Miguel Drive, now under construction, will link two large parks.

What's next: The community center, city hall offices, library and other facilities at the new Civic Center are expected to be ready in early spring. The city plans to have a grand opening for the public in the summer.

Dock fees and boat parade boycott

Business owners and residents who owned docks packed Council Chambers to lodge a loud protest against tideland fees. Residents saw their fees go up from a $100 annual dock inspection fee to 52.5 cents per square foot. A group called "Stop the Dock Tax" threatened to protest the 104th annual Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade if the council voted in favor of the increases. However, the council voted 5-1 during a special meeting Dec. 11 in favor of the fee hike. Although some residents did turn their lights off during the boat parade, most residents participated in the annual holiday tradition.

Bike safety

2012 saw the city of Newport Beach shift its attention to the issue of bicycle safety. There were two fatal bicycle accidents just in the month of September. On Sept. 14, Sarah Leaf was struck and killed at East Coast Highway and Bayside Drive. The following day, Catherine Campion-Ritz, a beloved local physician, was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver on Newport Coast Drive. In October, the City Council unanimously approved a bike safety-improvement fund and also waived fees associated with a memorial bike ride held Oct. 28 in honor of Leaf and Campion-Ritz. The improvement fund would use city money, including grants, in a 3-to-1 ratio to match private donations up to $450,000. The city also painted sharrows, or shared-lane markings, on East Coast Highway between Avocado and Hazel avenues and Bayside Drive between El Paseo and Carnation – both in Corona del Mar. The Newport Beach Memorial Ride group has raised more than $76,000 since October, according to organizers.

What's next: The group intends to continue raising money for the Bicycle Safety Improvement Fund, which was created after the fatal accidents. In addition to raising awareness among motorists and bicyclists with its "Same Roads, Same Rules" campaign, the city is also in the process of creating a map that will show safe routes for bicyclists.

Banning Ranch

In August, the City Council approved the Banning Ranch development, which was proposed by a private developer, to convert one-fourth of a 401-acre property into a 1,375-home residential and commercial project. The plan received first approval during a prior council meeting. In December, a state appellate court denied the Banning Ranch Conservancy's appeal to require the city to cancel its environmental approval of Sunset Park, which is adjacent to Banning Ranch. While the conservancy maintained that the two projects were interconnected, the court opined otherwise.

Beach fire rings

Newport Beach officials in 2012 discussed asking the California Coastal Commission's permission to remove the city's 60 beach fire rings. Coastal Commissioners say it could take months to review the matter because the beaches are public and the fire rings are considered a public amenity. An online petition was created to stop the removal of the rings. According to Save the Pits, a website created by those who support the fire rings, 5,578 people signed the petition. The controversy about the fire pits dates back to 2009 when the council discussed the possibility, but tabled the issue because it was taking up too much staff time. In September 2011, Councilwoman Nancy Gardner asked the Parks Commission to study the issue again partly because of a claim filed against Huntington Beach after a boy was burned on a fire ring there. The city's Parks, Beaches & Recreation Commission voted 4-3 to remove the rings during a meeting in February. The rings cost the city about $50,000 each year to clean and maintain.

What's next: The Coastal Commission is still in the process of reviewing the city's request.

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